vihuela

From Spanish vihuela.

vihuela (plural vihuelas)

1. (music) A guitar-like string instrument of 15th- and 16th-century Spain, usually with six courses or sets of strings (twelve strings in total).
2. (music) A guitar-like string instrument of 19th-century Mexico with five strings, typically played in mariachi bands.

• vihuelist

Probably from Old Occitan viola (cf. modern Occitan viula), possibly from Medieval Latin vitula. Compare also Italian viola, Portuguese viola, French vielle, viole. Doublet of viola.

vihuela f (plural vihuelas)

1. (music) vihuela

• “vihuela”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014